Listening to a speech recording is much more difficult than visually scanning a document because of the transient and temporal nature of audio. Audio recordings capture the richness of speech, yet it is difficult to directly browse the stored information. This article describes techniques for structuring, filtering, and presenting recorded speech, allowing a user to navigate and interactively find information in the audio domain. This article describes the SpeechSkimmer system for interactively skimming speech recordings. SpeechSkimmer uses speech-processing techniques to allow a user to hear recorded sounds quickly, and at several levels of detail. User interaction, through a manual input device, provides continuous real-time control of the speed and detail level of the audio presentation. SpeechSkimmer reduces the time needed to listen by incorporating time-compressed speech, pause shortening, automatic emphasis detection, and nonspeech audio feedback. This article also presents a multilevel structural approach to auditory skimming and user interface techniques for interacting with recorded speech. An observational usability test of SpeechSkimmer is discussed, as well as a redesign and reimplementation of the user interface based on the results of this usability test.

This paper addresses the problem that a listener experiences when attempting to capture information presented during a lecture, meeting, or interview. Listeners must divide their attention between the talker and their notetaking activity. We propose a new device-the Audio Notebook-for taking notes and interacting with a speech recording. The Audio Notebook is a combination of a digital audio recorder and paper notebook, all in one device. Audio recordings are structured using two techniques: user structuring based on notetaking activity, and acoustic structuring based on a talker's changes in pitch, pausing, and energy. A field study showed that the interaction techniques enabled a range of usage styles, from detailed review to high speed skimming. The study motivated the addition of phrase detection and topic suggestions to improve access to the audio recordings. Through these audio interaction techniques, the Audio Notebook defines a new approach for navigation in the audio domain.

No abstract

Speech and audio are rapidly becoming integrated into our daily computing environments. While the traditional "terminal beep" still exists, it is being supplemented with a variety of other speech and non-speech sounds, as well as speech input to control applications and user interfaces. This workshop explored current and future applications, research areas, and interaction techniques that use audio in the user interface. The emphasis of the meeting was on a user interface, or "CHI perspective", of using speech and sound in interactive contexts where the audio channel can be exploited for the user's benefit.

No abstract